AGY-609 | State Trawlers Industrial Undertaking

Full description

The State Trawling Industry was proclaimed as an Industrial Undertaking on 1 July 1915 (1). The purpose of the agency was to develop the state’s deep sea fisheries and provide regular supplies of fairly priced fish to consumers. Through the Special Deposits (Industrial Undertakings) Act, 1912 (2) accounts were opened by the Treasury to cover the enterprise’s capital and trading costs. This act was subsequently amended by Special Deposits (Industrial Undertakings) Act, 1916 (Act No. 77, 1916) (3) which specified that a Reserve Account could be opened (with ministerial approval) in the name of the enterprise for use by the Manager in meeting the costs of renewals, replacements, accidents, and other liabilities properly incurred. The State Trawlers Industry attempted to create a vertically integrated operation of - Co-ordination - from a head office in Macquarie Street and a central depot at Woolloomooloo. Harvesting - via trawlers, and receiving stations on the north and south coast. Production - fish cooking or smoking, and canning, plus ice manufacturing. Recycling - a fish offal plant. Transport - cars and lorries fitted with special chambers. Distribution - through city and country retail depots. As an adjunct to its fishing activities the State Trawling Industry also established a meat depot and purchased rabbit carcasses for onsale to the public. In connection with State Trawling the new industry of net-braiding was established. The net-braiders (six women) were employed to make trawl nets for the State fishing vessels using locally produced pure Manila twine (4). The State Trawling Industry operated from 1 July 1915, to 28 February 1923. During that period the Auditor General reported that it had amassed a capital liability, with sundry adjustments, of £ 220,463 10 shillings and eleven pence (5) The Public Service Board in 1922 also pointed to the Industry’s inadequacies in terms of its cold storage facilities, pricing policies, trawlers, and wharf areas (6). In contrast to the criticisms of the Auditor-General and Public Service Board, George Mason Allard, the Royal Commissioner inquiring into the Public Service, held a sympathetic view of the Trawling Industry’s actions. He regarded the primary role of the undertaking to be the development of "one of the State’s great natural resources, and incidentally, to supply cheap fish as a common article of food to the people.." (7). No balance sheet judgement of the Trawling Industry could be made while it was going through the embryonic stages of "establishment, experimentation, and progressive education"(8). In 1922 there were 20 State Trawling Industry Retail Deports in Sydney and suburbs and some major country towns . (9) Coastal Receiving Depots were situated at Maclean (Clarence River); Newcastle; Pindimar (Port Stephens); Wandandian (South Coast); and Eden. The State Trawling Industry ceased business operations on 28 February 1923. The Chief Secretary’s Department reported that the Government decided, on 28 February 1923, on the recommendation of the Minister in Charge, (Charles William Oakes - Chief Secretary and Minister for Public Health) to close down the Trawling Industry and realise upon the assets.(10) .The winding up of the business and resulting assets disposal returned a loss of £ 309,522 pounds (11). By August 1923 four trawlers had been sold. (12). FOOTNOTES (1) New South Wales Government Gazette, Vol. 3, 7 July 1915, p. 3906. (2) Assented to 12 November 1912, New South Wales Government Gazette, Vol. 4, 20 November 1912, p. 6864. (3) Assented to 12 December 1916, New South Wales Government Gazette, Vol. 4, 29 December 1916, p. 7819. (4) Official Year Book of New South Wales, 1916, Sydney, Government Printer, 1917, p. 976. (5) Report of the Auditor-General on the State Industrial Holdings for the year ended 30 June 1923, Parliamentary Papers, Vol. 3, 1923, p. 1011. (6) Report of the Auditor-General on the State Industrial Holdings for the year ended 30 June 1922, Parliamentary Papers, Vol. 3, 1922, p. 723. (7) Report of the Public Service Board on the Investigation into the working of the State Trawling Industry, Parliamentary Papers, Vol. 3, 1922, p. 770. (8) Fourth Sectional Report of the Royal Commission to inquire into the Public Service of New South Wales upon the State Trawling Industry, Parliamentary Papers, Vol. 1, 1920, p. 362. (9) Ibid. p. 361. (10) Report of the Public Service Board on the Investigation into the working of the State Trawling Industry, 1922, op.cit. p. 776. (11) Resume of the State Trawling Industry, Parliamentary Papers, Vol. 3, 1923, p. 1033-1034. (12) Report of the Auditor-General on the State Industrial Holdings for the year ended 30 June 1923, op.cit p.1011. (13) Official Year Book of New South Wales, 1922, Sydney, Government Printer, 1924, p. 666. REFERENCES (1) Fourth Sectional Report of the Royal Commission to inquire into the Public Service of New South Wales upon the State Trawling Industry, Parliamentary Papers, Vol. 1, 1920, p. 357-417. (2) Report of the Auditor-General on the State Industrial Holdings for the year ended 30 June 1916, Parliamentary Papers, Vol. 5, 1916, p. 975-993; see especially the Minute for Cabinet Prepared by George Black the Colonial Secretary concerning the State Trawling Industry. (3) Report of the Auditor-General on the State Industrial Holdings for the year ended 30 June 1922, Parliamentary Papers, Vol. 3, 1922, State Trawlers Section - p. 721-725. (4) Report of the Public Service Board on the Investigation into the working of the State Trawling Industry, Parliamentary Papers, Vol. 3, 1922, p. 769-770. (5) Report of the Auditor-General on the State Industrial Holdings for the year ended 30 June 1923, Parliamentary Papers, Vol. 3, 1923, p. 975-1011. (6) Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry as to Food Supplies - Interim Report on the Supply and Distribution of Fish, Parliamentary Papers, Vol. 4, 1912, pp. 589-974.